1. Ockenburgh Estate

Right in the greenery of the southwest of The Hague lies Ockenburgh Estate, managed by the House of Lords. Here you can walk, cycle or ride a horse through ever-changing landscapes of forest, dunes and meadows. Villa Ockenburgh, a beautifully restored villa, houses a restaurant with a greenhouse where they cook with fresh produce from their own vegetable garden. For children there is a gnome trail: a treasure hunt that playfully brings nature close by.

📍Monsterweg 2, The Hague

2. Het restaurant van Pluk

Not far from Ockenburgh is Pluk’s restaurant. Since the start of this year, Michèle Hol and Juriën Kester have been running the place together with Reakt, an organisation that offers people with a distance to the labour market a spot in the kitchen and service. Michèle knows the area well. She is from Loosduinen and her partner Juriën, together with his brother, owns the Ockenburgh garden centre. The menu is simple but tasty: toasties, sandwiches, soup and homemade cakes like apple pie and blueberry cake. This summer there are also yoga classes, craft afternoons and social dinners on the agenda.

📍1184A Loosduinse Hoofdstraat, The Hague

3. WIJdebar

Just outside the city, at Tuinderij Wijdehorst in Wassenaar, lies WIJdebar (formerly known as Zwart Zaad). This coffee and tea shop exudes tranquillity and a love of nature. At the weekend, you can enjoy homemade cake, light lunch dishes and fresh tea here, whilst children run freely amongst the flowers. The garden is a colourful pick-your-own garden where you can put together your own fresh bouquet. On Fridays and Saturdays, the menu changes to feature produce from the food forest, allowing you to literally taste nature here.

📍Rijksstraatweg 599, Wassenaar

4. Greens in the Park

On the edge of Westbroekpark, where the salty sea air from the North Sea can still be smelled, is Greens in the Park. Inside the greenhouse or on the spacious terrace you overlook the care garden and the green park. The kitchen works locally, organically and purely, just what you want in this season. After a long lunch you can rent an electric boat here to go out on the water. Suddenly a day like this feels like a holiday.

📍Kapelweg 18, The Hague

5. De Waterkant

Among the greenery of Westbroekpark lies De Waterkant, a cosy tea spot by the water. You can reach it by a hand-operated ferry or simply on foot through the park. With simple tables on the grass, club sandwiches, toasties and a good glass of wine, you’re always in for a treat here, even if the weather is uncertain. It’s said to be ten degrees warmer here than elsewhere in the city. Now the rosarium is in full bloom, you can rent a rowboat and take a picnic basket out on the water, ideal for a summer afternoon.

📍Westerbroek Park, The Hague